Soon the box drifted down near the taniwha's lair, and Tutae-poroporo, smelling the sweet smell of human food, rushed from his hiding-place and swallowed both the box and Ao-kehu. Then Ao-kehu, inside the monster, recited magic incantations and cut away the lashings which held down the lid of the box. Then that brave fighter began to battle with Tutae-poroporo, and with his saw-toothed weapons he slashed at the interior of the monster, fighting so fiercely that Tutae-poroporo bellowed with pain and reared up in agony in the water. But the taniwha had no means of attacking his enemy, and soon he was dead. As soon as the great body of the taniwha drifted to the shore, the people came down from the cliffs above. They cut a hole in the side of the body, and released Ao-kehu from his prison. Inside, they found the bones of all the people whom the taniwha had devoured—men, women and children. There were canoes as well, and all the weapons, the tools, and the greenstone jewellery which these victims had possessed. Then the people took the bones of their kinsfolk and laid them to rest in the tribal burial ground, but the body of the taniwha they left as food for the birds of the air and the fish of the sea. After this they went rejoicing back to their homes, from which Tutae-poroporo in his anger had driven them.